Fielding a quite strong starting eleven but without the injured Linney and Baines, Altrincham got back to winning ways at the Tameside Stadium. However, it took two excellent saves by Ethan Ross, late in the game to preserve their lead against their National North opponents, led by player-manager and ex-Robin, Craig Mahon.

The first half continued a trend of pre-season with Altrincham enjoying plenty of possession but lacking anything resembling a cutting edge. However, after the break, an improved tempo produced three excellent goals with two of them coming from the Robins.

Alty took the lead barely two minutes into the second half when, out of nothing, Max Haygarth who played well tonight, whipped in a curling cross from the right wing which Joe Nuttall headed home.

Midway through the half Curzon levelled with a superb shot into the top corner from 25 yards by Isaac Buckley-Ricketts (67 mins). An excellent Alty move was then finished off with a fine shot into the bottom of the net by Haygarth (71 mins). Alty went close to adding to their lead but, in the closing stages, Ross had to beat out shots from Afuye and then also from the lively Spencer.

SCORERS:

• 47 mins: Joe NUTTALL (Curzon Ashton 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 67 mins: Isaac BUCKLEY-RICKETTS (Curzon Ashton 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)

Regan Linney and Lewis Baines, as well as the long-term injured duo of Isaac Marriott and Ollie Crankshaw, all missed last weekend's friendly at Chester and they were all again out of action here.

Alty played new signing Tylor Golden at right-back with usual incumbent Lewis Banks dropping to the bench. Kehrel Reddin was the only trialist involved tonight.

Alex Newby moved to the bench, joining Lucas Weaver, Owen German, goalkeeper Louie Fallon and, for the first time this summer, Amaar Hussain, who was returning from injury. Tom Crawford and Matty Kosylo were (presumably) rested.

LINE-UPS:

CURZON ASHTON (All blue): 1. Bobby Jones, 4. Marcus Poscha, 5. Devon Matthews, 7. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, 8. Isaac Sinclair, 9. Jimmy Spencer, 10. Stefan Mols, 11. Will Hayhurst, 19. Jordan Richards, 21. Craig Mahon, 22. Adam Barton. Subs: 2. Timi Sobowale, 6. Luke Griffiths, 12.George Waring, 13. Josh Ollerenshaw, 14. Charlie Bingley, 15. Cameron Tetlow, 16. Ben Darby, 17. Michael Afuye, 18. Oliver Kvaternik.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Ethan ROSS, 12. Tylor GOLDEN, 4. James JONES (c), 5. Jake COOPER, 3. Eddy JONES, 6. Elliot OSBORNE, 8. George WILSON, 10. Max HAYGARTH, 14. Kahrel REDDIN, 11. Justin AMALUZOR, 23. Joe NUTTALL. Subs: 2. Lewis BANKS, 7. Alex NEWBY, 17. Amaar HUSSAIN, 18. Owen GERMAN, 19. Lucas WEAVER, 20. Louie FALLON.

Altrincham had lost just one of their previous six pre-season friendlies but that was last time out at Chester FC.

This match was the third clash of the summer against a National North club, with Alty having drawn at Warrington Town and lost at Chester FC previously this summer.

On a warm sunny evening the game got under way on what looked to be an excellent surface at the Tameside Stadium. Alty started with trialist Reddin on the left and Amaluzor on the right but it was Curzon who gained an early corner, though it came to nothing.

More promising was a pass from Reddin which got Amaluzor into the box but he fouled his man to end the chance (7 mins).

Soon, Alty won two corners in a minute, the second arising when their keeper came out of his box but missed the ball.

At the other end striker Spencer got the better of James Jones and advanced towards goal but his underhit shot went narrowly wide (12 mins).

When Osborne mispassed to Spencer soon afterwards, the midfielder was grateful to his defensive team-mates for quelling the danger (14 mins). Play was fairly even before Haygarth won possession, leading to the first meaningful shot on target, from Reddin, which was saved by keeper Bobby Jones (20 mins).

A corner to Alty followed, which Redin overhit from the left, before a Curzon error allowed Wilson to link with Nuttall and the latter's shot went close, past the upright (22 mins).

A home side error then allowed Wilson a snap-shot which went to the keeper (28 mins) but Alty were also losing possession with an unaccustomed frequency.

Nevertheless, the visitors were getting on top, although Craig Mahon's men were well in the game, before James Jones had to halt Spencer (29 mins). Golden was the next to lose possession, followed by a James Jones misheader and Eddy Jones losing the ball too (34 mins)

The next decent opening saw Curzon's Buckley-Ricketts jink into the box before firing narrowly wide (36 mins). Play switched again as a Nuttall's 25-yarder soared well over the bar (37 mins).

Moments later Nuttall was fouled just outside the oppsition "D" and Amaluzor's freekick brought a fine diving save, to his left, by Bobby Jones (40 mins).

Before the interval there was a poor tackle by Golden on Buckley-Ricketts would have brought a caution in a competitive match. As Curzon rallied before the break, James Jones put in a fine tackle inside his own box to halt Curzon.

It took Alty less than two minutes to get a goal after the re-start and it came out of the blue from a superb curling cross by Haygarth from near the right touchline. The cross was met by the incoming Nuttall and he headed it home confidently (47 mins).

Curzon responded with a corner, followed by an impressive move which culminated in Sinclair firing narrowly wide (55 mins). The Nash threatened again moments later as Sinclair now held off a challenge before shooting over the bar (56 mins).

Following an advance on the left by Reddin, the trialist's low cross was hit first-time by Nuttall but the keeper's save earned a corner (58 mins). Nuttall continued to shoot at every opportunity but his next effort produced a more comfortable save by Jones (59 mins).

The Nash now won a corner through Spencer; taken short, it found Richards in more space than he should have had, but he fired over the bar from 20 yards (64 mins).

A double change by Altrincham brought on Banks and Newby for Golden and Wilson (65 mins).

However, just a couple of minutes later, The Nash equalised when an excellent move forward led to Buckley-Ricketts's fine shot from 20 yards, central, which arrowed into the top corner of Ross's net, to the keeper's left (67 mins).

Right-back Banks was soon in action at the sharp end of the pitch as he met a low ball well to fire in a shot which whistled past Jones's right upright (70 mins).

But an excellent move by Altrincham then set up Haygarth for a well-struck low shot which flew into the net to restore Altrincham's lead at 2-1 (71 mins).

Curzon made a double change as Darby and Afuye came on with Mahon and Barton withdrawn (72 mins).

In an eventful second half the chances kept coming as Amaluzor traded passes with Nuttall before the keeper rushed out to block the winger (74 mins) and, soon afterwards, Amaluzor got in a shot which was not far off target (76 mins).

Three Altrincham changes ensued as Weaver, Hussain and German replaced Reddin, Haygarth and Amaluzor (78 mins).

Following a home corner, Weaver showed electric pace up the right wing to feed Banks but the defender fired well over the target (80 mins). Hussain then had a shot blocked from a Weaver feed before an impressive home move saw Afuye get past Eddy Jones to force a fine save by Ross which led to a corner (84 mins).

And Ross had to produce another impressive save a minute later when Cooper lost the ball 25 yards from goal (85 mins).

Curzon brought on two subs in the 88th minute as Bingley and Kvaternik replaced Mols and Spencer.

Despite those two late scares, Altrincham emerged as deserved winners in a game in which the second half was a great improvement on the first 45 minutes. Nuttall, in partcular, had numerous shots at goal and, on another day, the margin of victory might have been less slender.